Imperative of Youth Social Entrepreneurship in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, the seventh most populous country of the world, clasps in numerous problems- those have became the supplementary names of the country. Its most threatened complications are poverty, population and mismanagement of various resources. The country had undergone on these problems for last forty years. Though, continuously, it’s striving to solve the problems in significant ways, a big portion of the countrymen are too pessimistic to see its worse conditions to be healed till their death.

 For Bangladesh it has been observed that among many problems like lacking necessary natural resources or weak infrastructure, lower GDP, lower education rate and inadequate paddy grounds- mismanagement  of the existing resources and bad governance are liable for failing to provide employment, food, shelter, health, education services to the masses which consequently hurdling poverty more. Poverty as a vicious circle is creating many other problems. The problems are becoming harder because of lacking effective leadership in each sector and it is becoming more acute as world’s fast moving economy, food crisis, energy crisis & environmental effects are influencing the country’s economy directly.

Nevertheless, the country has a history of citizen activism as it was seen in its pre-liberation, liberation and post liberation period in political, cultural and economic sectors. In spite of in numerous problems surprisingly it is enjoying favorable economic growth and has shown remarkable progress in employment opportunity, education, reducing child labor, rural development and urbanization and disaster preparedness. Most of the cases all such developments are done

With over 164  million people, being one of the most populous countries in the world, at the same time, Bangladesh is one of the poorest, with around 44% of the total population living on less than US$2 a day (World Bank Report: 2000/01, as for South Asia). It ranks 146 in the Human Development Index Ranking (UNDP, 2011). In 2010, the U.N. estimated that over 32 percent of the population of Bangladesh, roughly around 62 million young people, is between the age group of 10 to 24. This is the largest number of youth than ever before in the history of this country.

 Till now the youth of Bangladesh presents the most promising resource and in huge quantity – a big reservoir of energy, which can play an important role in economic & social revolution in the country and contribute significantly in creating job opportunity, enhancing child education, women’s uplift, rural development, urban differences and decreasing poverty through bringing economic freedom. Young people are more adaptive & interactive to the each segment of the society and they have more potential to engage in community and business development activities.

 But a few privileged youth are becoming self conscious in creating differences and the rest privileged are in dark of it and the other non privileged are becoming victim of social problems. But this vast human resource can be utilized through some social initiatives. Making an initiative isn’t an easy task, in the society of ours entrepreneurial people exists below 2% though it is required at least around 5%. However, If someone takes an social initiative of making impact can facilitate the local people, can make employment opportunity for others, can utilize his/her local resources and can inspire his/her neighborhood other youths. Social ventures targeted to solving social problems can both facilitate destitute and can give income security through employment. Usually such social ventures are solution oriented and these help solving unemployment, poverty, malnutrition, misuse of resources and many other problems. Such social ventures either can be built by any adult social entrepreneur for facilitating youth, or by any youth who thinks for making impact. We prefer such initiatives of social ventures should come out from the young people because youths are agent of change. They are world’s future. One day they will lead the world. So their decisions, activities, thoughts should come in to effect to leaving a better world for future generations.

 When we talk about social ventures, we prefer to mean the enterprises which follow business model that prepares product or services for the deprived part of the population or which try to solve any social problem innovating new ways. But it doesn’t mean we are giving less importance to the charity or philanthropic or voluntary initiatives. It’s literally tough for the youth to get fund for providing charity. Most of the cases charity based social enterprises sets back or fall down only for lacking the blood of the organization-money. Rather we do prefer to encourage the young social entrepreneurs to run a profitable enterprise and the taken profit then to spend for charity/volunteerism. This could be a guideline for the pro-social enterprise enthusiastic to have the right choice while choosing the enterprise-revenue-fund-model.

 Since Bangladesh has a significant amount of youths- these youths are required to train and groom to develop their potentials, personalities, functional capabilities and should be persuaded of their importance as they can more engage in social entrepreneurial initiatives. Much more attention should be given towards their leadership, entrepreneurial skill development activities as they can think positively and do positively for their society and the country. Otherwise the youth, the big reservoir of power, could be remained underutilized which, rather may create negative impact in the society.